Discover Castiglione di Garfagnana

Castiglione di Garfagnana combines medieval fortifications with ecclesiastical history, cultural traditions and a section of the Via Matildica del Volto Santo. When choosing a hotel, the town offers several specific reasons to visit: you can take historic buildings, an ethnographic museum, recurring events or the route into account. If you want a festival or concert to determine the dates of your stay, check the dates for the relevant year; individual event details may vary.

Fortress, Walls and Church

The medieval fortress has remained largely intact. The defensive walls are 750 metres long and between 11 and 17 metres high. Together, their length and height range give a tangible impression of the scale of these fortifications; the height is given as a range. The Church of San Pietro is also a historic landmark: it was built around the year 1000.

A glimpse of rural culture

The “Don Luigi Pellegrini” Ethnographic Museum was founded by Don Luigi Pellegrini to document a rural culture that has now almost completely disappeared. This gives it a different focus from the fortress: its subject is not fortification, but rural life. In planning your trip, this focus complements the history of the buildings with the culture the museum seeks to preserve.

Traditions and music throughout the year

The Festa del Regalo is an annual tradition dating back to 1631. The Processione dei Crocioni takes place on the night of Maundy Thursday and depicts Jesus’s ascent of Mount Calvary. Its date follows the Easter calendar. Medieval costume events usually take place in late August. The annual calendar therefore features both a procession tied to Easter and a period, usually in late summer, for costume events. If a specific date matters for your trip, check the dates for the relevant year.

The town’s musical history includes the Filarmonica Alpina di Castiglione Garfagnana, founded in 1858 and active almost without interruption. The Castiglione Paese della Musica programme includes recurring annual musical initiatives, as well as a summer programme of events featuring jazz, pop-rock, opera, classical and light music. The range of genres gives the summer programme a broad musical scope; specific event details may vary from year to year.

Route and views

The Via Matildica del Volto Santo crosses the medieval bridge of Castiglione di Garfagnana and then follows a trail and an unpaved road along the river. Since conditions on the trail and road may change, check them before setting out. Parco della Rimembranza provides access to the Torrione della Brunella. The Torrione offers particularly impressive panoramic views over the valley.

A seasonal speciality

In winter, restaurants in Castiglione di Garfagnana serve chestnut polenta with boiled pork bones as a typical dish. This gives winter cuisine a different seasonal connection from the summer music programme and the costume events usually held in late August.

Discover more destinations: Vagli Sotto, Lucca, Torre, Segromigno, Marlia, Vergemoli, Renaio, Piaggiori

Return to the main travel overview: Lucca.